I've been living with IBS-D for about 15 years now and i know what my triggers are, so i have it under control. If you suffer from this condition you know how hard it is to find balance. But now i need to lose about half my body weight and there are tons of healthy foods that i can't eat, such as whole wheat pasta and bread, brown rice, a lot of vegetables, seeds...pretty much anything with insoluble fiber in it. Does anyone have the same problem and do you have any suggestions of other healthy foods that i can try? Thank you.

Linda, Well, I guess I spoke too soon. Last week I had the cucumbers without the seeds and had a horrible reaction. I couldn't figure out originally what caused it, but then remembered the cucumbers. You are right sometimes it can be fine and other time wham.

IBS is most certainly effected by stress. Last week I ended up taking care of my twin brother who had surgery and he did not have anyone else to help him out. My IBS was doing horribly while I was there. Now that I am back home everything is back to normal. His surgery went well and it wasn't life threatening either, so not sure why it acted the way it did.

Found out recently I can finally eat cucumber again as long as I remove the seeds. I usually cannot have raw vegetables. Also cannot have iceburg lettuce, but can have the dark green lettuces. I am finally able to enjoy salads!

I have been doing pretty well. My D hasn't been too bad. I had some ice cream this evening. So far, I feel okay. I hope it lasts. I have been getting plenty of water and exercising. I hope that I don't have a D flare up.

Janette - I am so happy that you were able to go out with your friends. It is good that you ordered peppermint tea with your pastry. I do have such good experience with peppermint tea. It really is good for my belly. Your choices, at the buffet, were really good. Especially adding the beans, etc. They are so good for us.

A lot of plans got changed around this weekend. I went into work really early Friday for two clients and both their plans got changed so neither of them showed up. One finally had his dad come and pick up papers from me instead. The other is having me come in really early Monday instead.

Also the plans for the bf's son got all changed around. For some reason his mom wanted him to come to us on Friday after school instead of being with her. And he decided he wanted to go out to an all you can eat buffet in town for his birthday dinner. I picked up a small piece of steak for me, and a huge salad with all kinds of veggies, beans and peas piled on top with a vinaigrette dressing, a piece of Texas toast, and some pudding for a dessert.

Even though the plans with the boy got changed around the bf told me to go ahead and met my friends today for brunch since I haven't seen them for a long time now. I got a French pastry with lots of different fruit on top of it, it was really good. It turned really cold, windy and misty last night when we were going out. And it is still really cold and windy today. I had to wear a jacket to meet with the ladies. So I also ordered a hot peppermint tea with my pastry.

After that I went shopping and parked my truck way out in the boonies and then walked around to several shops. So I got a lot of walking in today and yesterday too.

The boy's mom had picked him back up before I got home. He has several basketball games to play in this weekend by her home, so he went back with her until later tomorrow night or so.

I have a ton of bookkeeping still to do, even though I have already done a lot this week.

I had a really busy start to the week with long days again. Today I am working from home doing bookkeeping. I will have to work tomorrow really early in the morning to meet a client. I have another client that might come tomorrow too, but I won't know for sure or when until the last minute. Plus I will be working from home on bookkeeping tomorrow and this weekend too.

The bf's son is turning 13 tomorrow, but he will be with his mom and her family and his friends there until Sunday. I think the guys might be going to go fishing Sunday morning. Not what else we will do yet, depends on how tired the guys are probably. Saturday, I am going to go met some of my ladies friends from Escondido for a brunch at a local French restaurant. I haven't seen them for a long time now, and haven't been to that restaurant for a long time either. So that should be really fun.

Kerry4614, I understand your situation. My guys are not into cleaning or putting things away really either. And we sit up on a hill and the dirt and dust is horrible here, I just can't keep up with it. We have two dogs that go and lay in the dirt and then shed it and their hair all over the house. And I have bad allergies to dirt and dust, so I have to wear a dust mask when cleaning up or risk coming down with a sinus infection and or chest infection. Since going back to work, I just pick my battles. Sometimes I just leave the mess until the weekend and try to deal with it then. But then it is too much and my back starts hurting from my scoliosis trying to do too much at once. Other times I try to do a little at a time, but then my back can hurt the next day when I need to be in good shape to handle going to work and doing what ever is needed there. So I just play it by ear each day, and decide what to do according to how I feel and what all needs done. I deal with the necessities/emergencies, and let the little stuff/not necessary stuff slide a lot. I just do what I can, when I can, and when I feel like it a lot. And I had issues with cars too, I just recently got rid of my junker car as it sat broke down more than on the road. And I took over our spare truck as my transportation, only just to end up having to put it in the shop, and charging over $2,000 worth of repairs to my credit card due to a bad coil and other problems right after I took it over. Sometimes it just feels like one thing after another, I understand. And the guys like to eat a lot of junk food so it is always in the house tempting me, even though I am not the one buying it, the guys buy it. Sometimes I avoid it, and other times I give in and eat it. Hence my weight bouncing up and down. I don't go to any gym or curves or such as I just can't aford it. I only work part time, and the bf was laid off for almost a year until just recently. He just started training for a new job, but still isn't making any money at it yet. So money is tight still. I hope that answers your question?

I haven't had any issues with my IBS still, luckily! I have been working lots of days and hours, and working from home too lately. The boss left for Chicago again. Now I have to start all over doing a bunch of bookkeeping at home since he is coming back before the end of the month instead of the middle of next month. But my time in the office should hopefully go back to more normal at least until he gets back I think.

I got a jump on it and already did my laundry last night so my work clothes are already clean instead of waiting to do them this weekend. Tonight we are going out to a fancy restaurant with the company the bf just started to work at. They are having a dinner party to celebrate the end of one year and the start of a new one. It is at a famous downtown San Diego restaurant with a dress code, so we have to dress up. It has a great view of the downtown and ocean, it is a penthouse restaurant. I have never been there before, but I have heard a lot about it before. It is old of our older and most famous restaurants in San Diego.

Luckily I have a nice black lace dress I bought myself a year ago at Macy's with a Christmas gift card the guys gave me. And I haven't worn the dress yet as it is really nice, so I haven't worn it to work or anything like that. And I tried it on and I still fit in it. Actually it is looser on me now than when I bought it, but it still looks good. So I will wear it and I have a nice cream/off white dress jacket that I can wear over it too. Since it is sleeveless and it will be cooler tonight going and coming from the restaurant.

Friday - yesterday I have really had a problem with IBS D. I am starting to think it may be a stomach bug though. Hubby started with it yesterday. I really need to be careful with what I eat today, just in case.

Kerry - I am sorry that you have the health issues. I liked going to Curves. When I moved, there is no Curves close to me. Therefore, I go to a large gym. Hope that you are able to keep it up even with your hubby changing hours.

Carol - sorry that you have been ill but hope you are getting much better. If you have bronchitis you should not do much cardio. Be careful with your exercise.

Darlene - ice cream does it to me also. I believe many of us with IBS, also are lactose intolerant. Milk, ice cream, etc. usually do a "job" on my belly. Normally, turning into D.

This is kind of a not focused chat but hear me out and please answer if you have suggestions. I may not posting this in the right spot so you can post to me privately for answer related to where this should be. That being said here goes~ I have fibromyalgia, IBS, depression, PBS {cirrhosis} and follow flylady but recently many areas are not kept up my husband does not put anything away. I want to get back to having a clean house. It helps my mind feel less cluttered. So I feel overwhelmed but also feel that I need to take care of myself. Until recently I was going to Curves which actually helped me feel better about myself and I met more women Very Important!! Not sure if I am going to get there because of my husband's hours changing and the other car not having proper defrost and in the weather we are currently having I may not get there if drove that car.

My life tomorrow will be the result of my attitudes and the choices I make today.

Carol, I hope you feel better soon. That stuff is definitely going around and really can get you down. I had to go after some Coricidin today. Guess a lot of people did. I had to go to a second store after it because they didn't have the one I wanted.

I really am enjoying the throw. Since my house stays cold all winter (from the beginning of October until mid-June), It really comes in handy.

I found out yesterday that even if I don't have so much problem with ice cream, I do with milk shakes. Big IBS trigger. I don't know if taking lactaid tablets will help with that or not. I just couldn't figure out what I could get on my way to see Fancy and just got that. Not a good idea.

I've been sick since before Christmas (sinus infection and now bronchitis). I was worried about the holidays and my IBS. I guess I didn't nee to worry because since I haven't been feeling well I didn't make it to all the holiday festivities. I received a Fitbit for Christmas. Really am enjoying it! Unfortunately, haven't had the energy to work out much. Luckily, finally today I was able to get some in.

I went to the gym today and had a good workout. I felt well until my elbow started hurting. It felt like tennis elbow that I had many years ago. I put the heating pad on it and it is feeling better. Hope that it feels well tomorrow. No IBS issues today. Hope that it stays that way. I had some ice cream earlier so that is always "touchy."

Darlene - I have not had an electric blanket in years. But I do know that they really keep us warm. Hope that you enjoy yours. It is really cold here too.

I wish they would get the weather right around here, but I guess that will never happen. Last I had seen it was going to be in the mid 30s today. Now it says 16, but where I am it is only 12. Well, for Christmas one of my presents was an electric throw and I have it on in my chair where I just wrap up in it. It sure is nice. From another friend I got an electric blanket for my bed. This house is always so cold they definitely come in handy.

It is a cold day here also. We will have single digits tonight. I did go out this morning to the gym and then I went shopping. It was a good morning but I have now come down with a sore elbow. I have had tennis elbow in the past and hope it isn't coming back, since I didn't workout my arms today. My Christmas celebration was fun and I didn't overeat. Although, have had some candy today - which was probably not a good thing to eat. I really didn't have IBS but yesterday was a day of running to the bathroom a lot. Doing better today in that regard.

Darlene - I am so sorry that you missed the services. My only service was Sunday morning. It's nice that you had a couple of events to attend. Sounded nice.

We have had the celebrations the last two days. I took presents to the neighbors and was invited to stay for breakfast. Then in the afternoon went to a friend's for lunch/dinner and opening presents. I actually did pretty well there. I was going to stop at a Christmas Eve service on my way home, but where I thought they had a 6:00 service didn't have anyone there. I started for another church that I was just sure would and they must have had theirs at 4;30 because they were clearing out the parking lot when I got there. So for the first time in a long time I missed one. I didn't want to go to the one church I go to part of the time because they have a combined service with the Mexican and Korean churches and, though the service part is fine with me, the Mexican church's worship team is louder than the English worship team and they hurt my ears.

Today we had the Christmas lunch/dinner at another friend's and I ended up with too much, which isn't making my stomach feel very good. I didn't really get IBS problems, but close and just because of how much I ate and drank (hot spiced apple cider). The cider is probably the real problem. I will definitely be taking it easy for the next few days.

Both days were fun, with all the little kids yesterday (my two friends' grandchildren --- and nieces -- they are sisters) and today just the older children from 15 to around 30. My friend had a craft that is supposed to glow at night if it's been under light long enough, and we watched movies.

We had our family Christmas get together today at our house. The house was so clean.The food was great. Daughter brought apple pie. I ate one small piece. Fortunately, I really did not overdo it today so feel pretty well. Hope that you all enjoy your Christmas Eve.

I jinxed myself and got hit today. That shouldn't have happened because I had just woke up from a nap and the gut is supposed to sleep when you are asleep, too. I am not sure if it was set off from the ham I have (one of those honey-baked kind, but haven't put the glaze on yet) or because I had some sherbet. Maybe the sherbet because it has milk in it, but ice cream hasn't bothered me lately.

I cannot have the beans in my chili or I just stay in the bathroom for the next 24 hours or so. I can sure understand about the gas, too. I have it all the time. I am not sure what causes that. I have 3 types of pills for that, though one is just a lactase one in case that is the cause of my IBS. I have been trying to keep down to only taking it if things get out of control, like it feels like a heart attack but a burp will help for a second.

I didn't make it to knitting club. My eyes just wouldn't stay open at all. I got Cassie out a little early and fell asleep in my chair both before that and after. I did get about 5 more inches done and only have 6 more to go. Then for both try to figure out what to do about fringe and how to fasten them so they don't just fall off. Or do you do that in men's mufflers? Maybe the one should be sewed into a tube so it isn't so wide, too.

I only have baking soda, and in a small amount, in chili. The real reason is that with the beans, it reduces the gas. I was so miserable until I went to bed last night. Feeling better today. Although, I really do have gas most days. I have tried gas pills, teas, etc. but it still happens. I hate it. I worked out on the exercise bike today and also took a short walk.

Some chili would be good for the end of this week, but I'm not sure I can handle it. Maybe if I used ground turkey or else something more like stew meat (or cut up some cheap steak). I never thought about putting baking soda in it. Would that help for D too?

I've been sitting here on the computer again and really need to get back to my knitting and some other things I need to get done. At the rate I'm going I won't get things done for Sunday and Monday. I have knitting club tonight, but I think I am going to be falling asleep pretty soon and might not be able to drive because I am too tired. Was doing fine until just a minute ago. No matter. If I miss I will just do the knitting here.

We made chili today. I normally put baking soda in it because it seems to help with gas. Unfortunately, I forgot it. Wow, I have had the worst pains ever. The entire evening has been cramping. Ugh! I drank some herbal tea but even that didn't help. Tomorrow we are having grilled chicken and that should be better for me.

I can sure relate to the thinner skin. I get the cuts and such just by barely hitting the kitchen counter accidentally. The other day even had my ankle bleeding and all I had done was taken a bath. When I got out it was bleeding. Couldn't figure out what was going on.

I've still been doing good except for some gas. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I haven't gotten as bad as "D", but have had to hurry to the little room and have actually made it every time. That is a big improvement for me. Still have to work on my diet and see if I can improve more.

No issues with IBS today. Last night I was shaving my legs. I cut near my ankle severely and bled a lot. Still bled this morning. My nurse daughter said that it is a skin tear. I did see skin with the blood. She said that as we age our skin gets thinner. So now I have to be really careful of that. Ugh! I am wearing gauze with a bandage today. I did use antibiotic ointment as well.

Darlene - I know what you mean. If I say that I am not suffering any symptoms....I will jinx it. I just never know when it will happen. I seem to be alternating between C and D more often lately.

Janette - I certainly am glad that you are not in any immediate danger. I watch the news and see the fires everyday. It is devastating.

Thanks ladies! Luckily the fires that were close to us got put out fast, and the ones that were a little further away just made the sky smokey off in the distance, but didn't really cause any issues for us. There were two bad ones to the north that we could see the smoke from a distance from our windows of our house. But they didn't really pose any real immediate threat to us. There are several up by LA area and north of that too that are really bad, but again don't pose any threat to us.

But it is so sad for all those that are in those areas. Way too many homes and lives lost.

I do still eat some of those foods on the "no" list without problems. Others definitely are problems. I used to love chef salads with all the fixings. When I started having problems with the IBS that was the first thing I couldn't eat because of the lettuce. Even when my cousin took us to a fancy restaurant and the salad they had wasn't more than 1/4 cup we had to stop on the way home so I could find a bathroom.

I knew about the glutamine for a while, but I haven't really tried it. Maybe I will in a couple months.

I have been doing okay recently, but I'm afraid if I say anything that I will jinx it. That seems to happen every time.

I felt much better today. I didn't do much but did take a walk and did a few things around the house.

Darlene - thanks for the info. The foods to heal the gut make sense. I drink peppermint tea several times per week. It seems to help when my belly is really causing me problems. But I do eat some of the foods on the food listed NOT to eat. I know that I should not eat lettuce, for example, but I do when I have a salad. Salads don't always bother me.

I got the call back from the vet (he's good about that), but for some reason my phone sent it to voice mail immediately without even ringing. He left a message, but I didn't get to talk to him so I emailed back. Got that reply this morning. I asked about the infection in Cassie's gums and that answer was so cheap to treat it. Hydrogen peroxide. I never even thought about that. So I guess I will go out in the cold today after all and get some of that. Cassie is going to hate me with all this stuff going in her mouth. She was mad and wouldn't have anything to do with me last night after the gel.

I started the day going to the gym for an exercise class. It was 60 minutes and great. I felt well until later I ate the wrong thing. Afterwards, my belly found so full of gas and pain. It is a little better tonight but not much. We are having a light meal for dinner tomorrow night. I hope that will make me feel better.

Janette - good for you for walking to work. Glad that you have your truck back.

I try to keep with the 85% lean meat, too, but I will have to stay away from it for a while even. I think what I had before was 80%. I got the information from the nutritionist at Knitting club last night and meat fat is one of the things it lists as a trigger. It also says egg yolks are. I may be only able to afford eggs some, though. I am trying to figure out what my dog can have to control a problem she has. Waiting for my vet to call now.

I got my truck license today and also got my medical billing straightened out, I think. I sure hope so. Today was expensive with the truck, vet bill, stuff for Cassie's teeth. I still need to go get kitty litter, gas, and feed this week.

Janette, I hope you are far from those fires. It is horrible how many large fires that California has been having.

Thanks ladies! It was at a support group place, and a lot of people come and go, or just come once in a while. We really thought it was more someone mistook ours for theirs or something like that. The bf let they leaders know about it and posted about it on a bulletin board. But I don't think he made any announcement to the group about. I don't think he wanted to make a fuss about it. And it might be that someone just decided to walk off with it? We still haven't heard anything about it. He will probably just get a new one.

We my truck needed to go into the shop Thursday and I just got it back yesterday afternoon. It was passed due for some routine maintenance that we just kept holding off on doing. But a coil and spark plug went bad as I was dropping the kid off to school for the bf so that he could go to a meeting about a new job he is trying to get. So just had that done and a bunch of other maintenance stuff that needed done while they had it. I will be needing to put two new tires on the front still too and get it aligned. But I will hold off until after the new yr for that. The bf is in training for a new job now, and hopefully will start getting paid for it the end of this month or next month.

I walked to and from work Friday as the ofc is really close to the house. And walked there Monday morning too. And then got a ride to pick up the truck from the bf on his lunch break from training that afternoon. So I can start driving to work again, which is good as I had a bunch of meetings already scheduled with bookkeeping and payroll clients this week that I needed to go to yesterday after picking up the truck, and more today and tomorrow too.

Well have a great day and rest of the week. I am still doing good with the IBS.

I had been doing well for a time and now I am suffering again. I have not yet developed D but definitely the cramping. I did not have any meat today. However, I did have spicy food which may have done it.

Darlene - you could be right about animal fat. We do try to always buy 85% or more but things can still go wrong if made with a different ingredient in the recipe.

Janette - sorry about the crock pot. So many people just are eager to take something nice for themselves.

I'm sorry you haven't got the Crock Pot back, Janette. You'd think they would be more considerate.

I have been doing pretty well lately. Just don't want to jinx it. I do know that meat fat causes problems (anything less than 85% lean). That's the last time I had D before this morning. I haven't figured out today.

I've been working on a men's muffler to give for Christmas. Hoping I can get it done. I am trying with 2 yarns at once, but I'm barely learning how to do some patterns in knitting. I did do one other with some bulky yarn that had the colors both in it. It got a bit wide, though. This one I didn't have both colors in the same yarn (didn't know they had one with both), so I am doing 2 yarns.

Hope that everyone is doing well. I am sure many of us are busy this time of the year. I did some shopping today. I thought that I was going to get an attack of IBS D but fortunately, it didn't happen. Just a lot of gas pains all week.

Thanks Linda, We are still waiting to hear on it. Maybe whom ever got it, went on vacation or whatever and hasn't realized it or heard about it being missing. We will give it more time, before we just run out and get another new one.

I woke up with a stopped up ear and feel as though I am getting a cold. yuck! No IBS issues over the last few days. May end up the doctor for a cold and to clear the ear if it doesn't take care of itself.

Janette - I hate to hear that the crock pot has not been returned yet.

I had turkey at my friends' on Thursday. I don't often have the turkey so when I do I end up with it for several meals. I have another turkey breast in the freezer. I don't have a lot left in my food budget, but I think I have most of what I need with a few things in the freezer, refrigerator and potatoes and sweet potatoes. Also some veggies in cans. That might even keep me through the end of the year if I remember to thaw things.

Chili sounds good, though I can't eat the beans. Mine is usually just ground beef and chili sauce made with tomatoes and chili seasoning. Last time that didn't turn out too well. I wonder if I use dried chilies reconstituted and chunks of beef if I could eat it since I do like it. I definitely hope I can eat the green chili, though.

I have exercised everyday, including Thanksgiving. However, I did eat quite a bit at dinner last night and today. I made a pot of chili and the beans really do help me. The fiber is good. I plan to make a lighter dish tomorrow.

Darlene - happy to hear that you are feeling better. We also had turkey breast, but we had it on Thanksgiving. I cook much less now that we are older and family is busy with in laws also on the holidays.

Janette - I hate to hear that no one returned the crock pot. That is a shame that someone took it.

Great Darlene, glad to hear your stomach is better. Mine was better several hours after eating, and has been fine since. Maybe I just ate too much at once, or maybe something I ate bothered me. The salad I was eating had some type of kick in the after taste like hot peppers or such, so maybe that set it off, but the apple pie was the last I ate, so maybe that is why I was tasting it. Or maybe it was something with the apple pie. It had something hard and chewy in it like coconut or oats that didn't get cooked well or something. And I don't do well with processed coconut, so it could have been that. It is hard to tell when eating food that you don't know exactly what is in it. I stayed away from anything that looked like shell fish as I am allergic to that, and I brought my asthma inhaler with me just in case I needed it.

No luck on the crock pot yet. Hopefully this weekend or next week it will show back up.

My stomach also settled down. Only problem I had was having to get up several times during the night due to the tea being a bit diuretic.

Today I cooked my turkey breast that I had gotten on Tuesday. I think the rub I put on it wasn't too good, but when I pulled the skin off it tasted okay. I have been doing okay today, with no problems.

Oh, and someone walked off with the bf's crock pot too. Hopefully whomever took it, just miss took it for their own and will return it sooner or later, as there where several of them there. And someone else's was still there when we were leaving.

If not that we will just go buy another one. But if I remember right, this one he only got last Christmas or the Christmas before that. So he is really hoping to get it back.

We went to a pot luck dinner around 1 pm yesterday. I had salad and the bf's Stuffing with cranberries the most on my plate. And then some yams and a cranberry dessert thing. Then I had a tiny bit of turkey too. No gravy.

I went back to try someone apple crumble pie and a tiny bit of someone else's cranberry dessert thing. I should have skipped those two. They were not the greatest, and the cranberry thing was just really tart. I am not into tart stuff at all. Then after I got home I kept getting the taste of the apple pie coming back up on me. Luckily it settled down after a bit and I didn't have to take any medicine for it. I didn't have any IBS with it, just felt like I was on the verge of belching and having acid reflex.

I am always worrying about how I will feel after Thanksgiving meal, too. Today I didn't have a lot of problem like I often do, but I am hurting from it. I did eat a little too much again, though I tried to not eat as much as I have in the past. So we ate around 2:00 and for supper I am having some Ginger Peach tea. I'm hoping that ginger will help keep my IBS settled.

Carol - yes, I really don't like to get stuffed or I may have a IBS D problem. I ate one plate of food today and no dessert. It helped me. I also drank a lot of water and rode my exercise bike. Cardio usually seems to help me after rich foods.

Janette - I also have acid reflux. I try to not eat foods that will bother is but I also have medication in case I do.

Carol a lot of people in this group have that problem. I have issues with tomato sauce, peppers and some other stuff giving my heart burn and acid reflex. Others have issues with IBS-C and or D after certain foods.

Sorry you are having so much trouble with the mouse. When I had the problems with them and just the dogs, the dogs could never get them, either.

I'm glad you aren't having problems with the IBS now. I took 3 Imodium today to make it through the dinner at church. That worked. Hoping it will normalize before Thursday. Then I will take another 1 or 2 to make it through that dinner. It was a nice dinner and time today, though.

I hope you are doing better. My IBS hasn't been bothering me for some time.

The mouse was in my room again early this morning I heard him and then saw him run under my bed just before 5 am. I got up and went into the living room. I didn't want to stay in bed with him under there. He doesn't seem to have any interest in the traps in there. We had some light showers early Friday morning. We usually keep a towel to dry the dogs off with on the back of a small couch in the family room by the sliding glass door. Usually the only ones that use that couch is the boy and his friends to play on the X-Box or the Wii. This morning I noticed a clean towel on the back of the couch, and a dirty one on the floor, mostly stuck under the couch. I went to pick up the dirt one to take it to the garage so it could get washed later. But I noticed right away when I started to moved it that the part that was still under the couch had mouse dropping all over it. I was the only one home when I noticed it. When the bf got home I was going to talk to him about it. As I didn't know that the mouse had been out in the living room at all. He said that he went to use the towel the day before as the dogs were coming back in from the rain. But noticed it looked dirty so he just got a clean towel to use on the dogs, and just left it on the floor. He said he didn't look at it good to see the mouse poop on it. So I went and got a trash bag from the garage to throw the towel in as I didn't want to keep it anymore after seeing all the mouse poop on it. I moved the couch and some lazy boy chairs in there and notice mouse droppings under them all. So I know the mouse had been making himself at home right in there even with the two dogs in there most of the days and nights. Then the bf said that he had seen it dash across the room once before but it was too small and fast for the dogs or him to catch it. I didn't know it had ever been out there. So I ended up moving a bunch of the furniture and stuff around in there to clean up and droppings I could find. Not what I had planned on doing today. I had a bunch of work I had brought home from work that I was planning on working on, not cleaning up after mouse droppings.

I have no idea how we are going to get rid of it. It is so brave to be running around with two dogs in the house and three people too.

Mice nowadays are just too smart. I don't think much of anything works to get rid of them except for mouser cats. I think there is something that is supposed to be like a cat smell (though not a smell like we could smell) that a person can put around, but I don't know what it is.

I am not having a good week with the IBS. I haven't been having dairy or very, very little with a lactase tablet each time, but have been hit with D several times. Last weekend I understand since I had the sausage. Today, I don't know. I had a turkey sandwich (small, it was on French bread) and a few mini marshmallows. Then at lunch had some V8 berry blend and a couple rolls. I know, not a good lunch, but thought with the rolls I would be safe, but I wasn't. Had D on Wednesday, too. My friend said I will have to try something other than the dairy to remove, but it seems to me it will be I have to try taking everything out of my diet. I had some mashed potatoes tonight and that set it off for the 2nd time.

I went to the store south of me to look for the yarn. Great idea. That store has a big rack of the yarn I needed. Now I need to get the number of stitches to stay right. I keep getting an extra one.

It was another long week for me. The wall at work didn't get finished until Tuesday late afternoon. Luckily with opening both the front door and back door the fumes didn't bother me this week. My boss has came and left for Chicago again. And left me with a lot of work but he wants it done before Thanksgiving this time instead of giving me several weeks to do it. So I decided to bring it home to work on instead of getting stuck working long hours and or a lot of days at work again next week to accomplish the task. I can work on the bookkeeping at home, and just go in on Monday and Wednesday to work on Payroll that I can't do at home. So hopefully I will get Tuesday off to work on the bookkeeping. Then I should have Thursday-Thanksgiving Day off. I might have to go in Friday for payroll again, I won't know until that morning if the company needs me to run it or not.

The mouse/mice keep coming and going in my room, and now in our room with our computers too. It doesn't happen every day or night but on and off, and I did hear it in the computer room one morning. It seems to like getting in my clothes drawers the most for some reason. And seems like it likes to come around midnight or early in the morning the most. Although it could be coming in the day and I just don't know it as I am not home or in the bedroom most of the time in the day time. Doesn't seem interested in our traps or scared off by the plug in wall device that is suppose to ward them off.

I hope you had a great week, have a great weekend and new week after that. Good luck finding more of that yarn too. All my best to you always. Janette

Janette, I hope they have finished with your office and you had enough fresh air today. Or, was that yesterday?

I started a knitted scarf to give for a Christmas gift, but I am not good at trying to follow knitting patterns. Actually, I have never tried a knitting pattern. So last night I went to a library knitting club. That was a really helpful one as the librarian who leads that club also teaches knitting and was able to help me figure out what I was doing wrong. I am using bulky yarn and have 8 1/2 inches done now. It is using the yarn pretty fast, though, and I may have some problem finding some more of that yarn. I'll have to go to Joann south of here and see if they still have some. They are selling a different brand this year, with different colors.

I have been leaving the front door of the office open while they were working in there. There is a back door in my bosses office that I can open for fresh air too, and it has a security locking screen door. I didn't even think about that. I will open it up for lots of fresh air tomorrow since I will be working in that room.

I can't work from home right now, as I don't have a secure computer just for the office work at home right now, and don't have the software I would need either. My boss and I have talked about maybe doing that in the future. I can't do it right now as someone needs to be in the office protecting the clients files from identity theft while workers are in the office. And my boss isn't in town to be the person to do that. And I have deadlines on running a bunch of payroll accounts tomorrow and I can not do that from home since I don't have the software at home, or the client files at home.

But I will make sure to keep the front door and back door open while they are working in there tomorrow.

I hope that you will have some kind of ventilation when you are in there. That just doesn't sound very nice. Or is there any way you could work from home? That would get you away from all those chemicals.

That sausage kept working on me some today. I hope it is done with that now. I did make some potato and cheese soup, so maybe that will help. Had to go to the store today in order to get some things for way less than they usually sell for (canned vegetables for $.25 each). I also found out some things were buy four and get $1 off each and those were something I needed. Anyway, the vegetables sale was only through today. I got 4 cans of green beans for Cassie.

Thanks! Last time I found the termites at work they came in and sprayed something from a can. I saw he was going to spray something so I stepped outside for a bit instead of staying at my desk or going to one of the back rooms as I didn't want to breath it.

I don't think they did that this time. I think they just cut into the wall and and then decided to tear the wall apart and re-build it. I don't know that they sprayed any poison. But they were using some type sheet rock stuff that sealed the cracks where the different sheet rock pieces where put together to close off the wall. And that stuff at least was bothering me. I was working in a back room on deadlines with payroll and bookkeeping, so I wasn't always aware of just what they were doing in the front room. They might have put some type of glue on to help hold the pink installation pieces to the wall, or used some other type of chemicals, and could have even used some poison for the termites and I wouldn't necessarily know it. The two guys working spoke Spanish and I don't really speak it and they didn't really speak English. So it was hard to know what they were saying to me, or for them to know what I was saying to them. I had to get them to get the landlord to talk to me a couple of times just to work out how long they were going to stay the first day, and when they planned to come back and how long they would be staying each day, and how many days they would be there.

I know I don't do well with any chemicals, even paint. So I am not going to like being there Monday. But I have payroll that needs done that day and other work that I have deadlines on too.

I wish you all the best and hope you are feeling better and better each day.

Oh, that is a horrible week. Did they spray for the termites with you in the office? I don't think they are supposed to do that. It can poison the people.

Hope you can get rid of the mice. I know I used to have a lot of trouble with them. They seem to be getting wise to traps. I had several types and caught exactly one mouse. I have a live mouse trap now. Orzo doesn't let mice stay around here. They were gone within a day from when I got him. I've had a few since then, but they didn't live long.

I have figured one thing that I can no longer eat. Got sick yesterday and today and I know I didn't have any dairy today, so I can't eat the smoked sausage any more. The lactase stuff is helping, I think, too. I substituted sorbet when I want ice cream, but I might just have to do Lactaid if I want that. Sorbet is really high carb. Of course, I could keep it to just a couple spoons full.

What I find funny is the Lactaid milk is extra sweet and tastes funny to me. The yogurt is way sweet, too. I think that yogurt isn't so much problem, though, especially if I take the lactase stuff.

This wasn't a good week for me. We had a termite issue at work again in the wall behind my desk. And since the boss is still in Chicago, I had to be in charge of getting it taken care of. I had to call the landlord. He and a worker came out. They decided they wanted to cut a small square hole in the wall to check on it. So I went to work in my bosses room. Then they decided they had to tear that whole wall up and rebuild it. So we had to move all the stuff off my desk, move my desk and file cabinets and such. Some of the furniture got moved across the room, and some when into a spare room that my boss uses to rest when he has to stay late at night working. The stuff from my desk went into the back filing room, my bosses room and the spare room. The office was such a mess, and I had to keep running around trying to find stuff I needed to do my job.

I had to work long hours Wed, Thurs and Friday because of it. And the fumes were getting to me too. Monday they have to come back and hopefully finish the wall and paint it too. Which means more fumes for me to deal with while I try to do my job in the mess. Then I will need to try to put the office back in shape for my boss coming back into town sometime next week too. As he is coming to deal with some deadlines and such, so he will need his office. I hope my area is back to normal by then. Or I will have to make room some where else in the office to work. The first day he will go to the other San Diego office, so I won't have to worry about finding a place to work Monday. But if they don't finish Monday, then I could end up trying to make a spot for me to work in the rest of the week while he will be here. Or maybe he will wait to come to our office until later in the week.

Then last night/early this morning just after midnight, I heard a mouse in the bedroom again. I didn't see it when I looked, but kept hearing it for about 30 mins or so on and off. Then I found he had got into another dresser's top drawer later when I got up this morning and really looked around. We have a bunch of dressers against one wall from Ikea. And they all have small openings at the top of the back of them, so I know that is where they got into the top drawers of the two dressers that I have found traces of them so far most likely. But I don't know where they are coming in the room. Or if they are climbing up the back of the dresser, or going down the top of the dresser, or how they are getting to the openings of the dresser. I never see them, I just hear them, and then later find their droppings. Luckily I don't really use the clothes that they got into in the two drawers. But the windows have been kept shut. I have two trap units in there to catch them and trap them, but they haven't seemed to bother them. And I had just recently put a plug in thing into the wall socket which is suppose to scare them away too. And nothing seems to be working to keep it out of my room. I put more peanut butter in the traps today, maybe there just wasn't enough of it before, or maybe it sat too long that it didn't smell? I just don't know. And I wasn't feeling good from the fumes from work, so I didn't mess with the stuff for the bugs today and probably won't do it this weekend. And might not even get to it next weekend if I have to deal with fumes too much this next week at work too. I don't want to try something new at home and not be able to tell if it is bothering me, or if it is just the fumes from the issue at work. Or have something at work bothering me and something at home bothering me too.

I just wish we would catch it or them and be done with it! I am so tired of dealing with all this type of stuff.

I drank peppermint tea this evening. The problem for me the past few days has been nausea. Everything seems to make me feel icky at night. Trying to keep drinking water, herbal teas, etc. My meals vary a lot so there is no rhyme or reason for this.

Darlene, I hope you are feeling better asap and that they finally help you find a diet that will work for you so you can enjoy having a full life of going where you want without having to worry about your IBS.

Yeah, I think that might be it too. It is very rare for me to go one day without going. Usually when that happens is because I didn't get enough water in, or ate too much and not enough water to counter balance it out.

Like days when I go to work I will try to drink a cup of warm water or two before going to work and try to pee a lot before work too. As when I am at work I am in the office by myself most of the time. So if I want or need to go to the bathroom, then I have to lock the office up during that time. I try not to have to lock it up, as it seems a lot of times when that happens a client will unexpectedly decide to just show up at the office with some sort of issue without calling first to let me know they are coming. And then the come and the office is closed and a lot of times will just go back home instead of waiting a few mins and calling me from outside the office. The lights are on in the office a TV is on in the waiting room with Pandora music on, and they just leave anyways. And then call later, or talk to my boss later and complain that they came to the office during hours and no one was there. Luckily my boss understands that some times you need to go, or he sends me out on errands sometimes too, so he doesn't really pay any attention to their complaints. And I try to tell them to call me next time before they head over to the office to let me know they are planning on coming, so I can schedule them to come when I know I will be there waiting for them.

So work days I don't drink a lot until I get home and then I drink tons of herbal tea and flush myself out the rest of the day and night. And days I have off I usually drink tons of herbal tea all day long, unless I have to go some where for errands or such.

I guess the lactase stuff helps some with the bloating, but not completely. Doesn't help with the D. I had a sandwich today and promptly got sick again. I did get out to get things done after about 2 hours.

I've been wanting Chinese, but having to stay away from soy. Today I got the Coconut Aminos so I can try to make some. What I got the other day turned out to be completely soy. Also got some minced ginger and minced garlic. Now I just have to find a recipe for what I want to make. For now it's tortilla soup.

I got my flu shot Tuesday, and a new referral for another specialist, and she did some more blood work up on me. She wants me to have another ultra sound to check on my liver, kidneys, and gallbladder/gallstones. So I got that set up for the end of this month. She wants me to reschedule the other specialist appointments I put off for my cold too, so will have to do that later. Then I have to see her back at the end of Jan. I still probably won't have all the appts she wants done by then, but oh well. With cold and flu season going, the holidays coming up, and work getting busier and busier. I will just do as much as I feel up to, and just push the rest to next year. We have a bad case of hepatitis A going around here. So she is checking to be sure I haven't caught hepatitis A, B or C still, and if they are negative, then she is going to give me shots for A & B probably later, to prevent me from getting them she said.

Our weather had gone from around 100 down to the 60's. So I was just finally feeling like I was well and then I started sneezing and coughing again before I had to see her Tues. But she said she thought it was more allergies than a cold. So she gave me a flu shot anyways. My arm feels like someone socked it where I got the flu shot. I am okay, but coughing with a dry hack more today. Glad I had today off, I am just resting and drinking herbal tea. I went into work Monday and Wednesday, and will have to go in for a bit tomorrow too, for payroll and to run to a client's to pick up their bookkeeping stuff.

I think my boss will probably be back in town around the middle of the month again for a few days. To deal with reports and other deadlines.

PERRYBABE, Sorry, I usually only have IBS when I am under a lot of stress and then it is IBS-D.

I usually have a bowel movement in the early morning every day, if not then some time later that day or night I will usually have one. Sometimes I might have one in the morning and one at night. And scale wise it only drops a few ounces if any from before and after a bowel movement that I have noticed.

I seem to be doing okay with the Lactaid, at least so far. I hope that I can keep up with it using that. For some things I am using almond milk (made hot cocoa with it the other day when it was so cold) and if I have some chai I will use the almond milk.

Waiting for the trick or treat to start. I broke down and got some candy for them today. Last minute thing. Have to take Orzo to the back bedroom so he doesn't get out. He really looked like he wanted to go out a little while ago.

Darlene - I am sorry that you are having so many problems with your IBS and lactose intolerant. I also have those lactose intolerant issues with my IBS and it is a double whammy! I guess you should maybe wait for an or so after you have milk products to test things and be certain that you will be okay. I wish I knew more of more options for you.

I just keep being afraid to go anywhere because of my IBS. I am having problems dropping all dairy, but I seem to be okay with cheese (at least most) since it is lower in lactose, and Lactaid products. My doctor said we just can't have me being afraid to go out of the house. She also wants me to get over the IBS problems so I can go back on the Metformin for my diabetes, but I am hoping that the exercising might make that unnecessary. Now if I can just get out of here without freezing since it was below 30 today. That was after 84 yesterday.

Darlene - the same thing happens to me when I take Imodium. I will be constipated for a few days and miserable. I am happy that my D doesn't happen as much as it used to. But when it does I am so miserable. Happy that your truck is working now. Hope that you don't have anymore problems with it.

I still don't get notifications for this team, at least not this forum, so don't get on here much. I've been having a lot of problems for about a month or more. Even my smoothies weren't working. Finally was told to not have milk because I was probably lactose intolerant. Maybe that is so. I got Lactaid milk and ice cream and the pills for it because I have a lot of trouble giving it up altogether. I also got lactose free yogurt and almond milk. So far it seems it might be helping, but I had to take Imodium a couple times so I really can't tell. Imodium totally messes me up for several days.

Anyway, I was able to make it through the day the last couple days okay. Thursday I had some long walking since my truck decided not to start. Never figured out what was wrong with the truck. When Danny came Saturday it started right up and ran fine today, too.

Okay, I have a question. For any of you who have IBS-C, have you noticed a change since losing weight? I used to go after every meal when I was at my heaviest. Also, if I have a big meal, I'll go to the bathroom. However, I can often go 2-3 days between bowel movements. When I finally do, I usually see a significant drop in the scales. Likewise, if I haven't gone for a day or so, I don't weigh myself until I go again. I don't take much laxative, but I do use stool softener, so when I do go, it's not agony.

I just wondered if anyone here has seen a difference since losing weight. Is it a good one or bad one?

Thanks! This is actually more of a dry heat like you would get in the desert, which actually helps to dry out the stuff in my lungs. But the going back and forth and back and forth, doesn't help. And when it gets too hot it just drains my energy, doesn't matter if it is a dry heat or muggy heat. I just don't do so well with the heat any more. I use to go out to the desert a lot growing up and it didn't really bother me as much then. But once I was getting closer to middle age it started wearing me out. I am spoiled like don't like it too hot or too cold. But at least with cold you can put on more clothing or blankets. When it is hot, you can only take off so much clothes, especially with a teenage boy in the house.

I still have a tickling in the back of my throat making me cough on and off, my bf and my boss said they have the same thing happening.

I am feeling so much better. My IBS has not been acting up for a few days. It makes such a big deal in the way you feel and look. I am so happy to not be bloated. But the bloating will come back as soon as I eat something that I shouldn't. I am keeping up with exercise and drinking plenty of water. It does help.

Janette - keep doing what you are doing. It must be horrible to have asthma. I hope that things are better soon. I know that the temps in southern Cali are very hot now. Does this make your asthma worse?

Yes, with my asthma it can take weeks or even months sometimes. I have tried to be really careful about not getting too cold with fans on me even on warm days. I figured sweating out the cold might be better for me. Especially at night time. I always have a harder time of it at night and in the early mornings. If I really felt like I needed cooled down in the day, I cracked open a window, or turned a fan on low, but aimed it away from me. In the evening I would turn the fan on in my room a little before bed to cool the room off, and then turn the fan off shortly before bed, or aim it away from me and only leave it on for a short time. I kept trying to drink lots of warm fluids and herbal teas.

I hope you all are feeling better. My IBS has been doing fine since on the Pepcid. The bronchitis seems to have gone and the sinus infection. But I still have a dry cough and tickle in the back of my throat at times, and started sniffling and sneezing again on and off too. The last two days I felt warm and clammy, almost like it is trying to start all over again. And yet yesterday was a cool and stormy day. Today was warmer and I was feeling on the chilled side today. So I bundled up and drank a lot of herbal tea again and just took it easy. Tomorrow we are supposed to be in the 90's again, and then the next few days we are supposed to be 100 or more. I will just take it easy tomorrow, as I will be back for another busy day at work Monday. Luckily I should have several days off next week like this week. I think I will be on Monday, off Tuesday, on Wed, off Thursday, and Friday will be up in the air. And I should have next Saturday and Sunday off again too.

My boss is back in Chicago for a few weeks again. He came down sick last week too.

I have been very bloated. I have had C for a couple of weeks and miserable. Today seems to be a bit better and may go to the bathroom tomorrow, I hope. I have been gassy and miserable. Sometimes I dread going anywhere due to it.

Janette - are you feeling any better. I know that bronchitis can last a very long time.

Health_Now - I have been awakened by an IBS attack but it has been rare. Normally, like Janette, it is stress or a food trigger. I also am lactose intolerent.

Thanks! I am in Escondido, Ca. I am still fighting the bronchitis too. Went to bed really early yesterday and tried to sleep in today. Just tossed and turned, hot and cold, and coughing. I have today off, so just taking it easy today. Tomorrow will be a long work day. I will check out some other places this weekend or when I am feeling better. All my best to you too.

I don't know where you are located, but you got a great deal for 2 pairs of glasses. I paid over $500, with a discount, for a new pair 3 years ago. Last year I was quoted $550 Per Lens! In Manhattan!!! I was shocked, still am. I agree Wal-Mart options wouldn't appeal to me either. Good luck with Costco.

Thanks, still fighting the bronchitis, but hopefully it is on it's way out. Yeah, my doctor's office should have gave me the shot a couple of months ago when I was in there. I think they were waiting for them to come in or something. As they talked about it but put off giving it to me. And then I came down sick before I could get it. I am sure they will give it to me later.

Walmart was so high in price! From the slides they were showing me on their plans on an electronic tablet, there are basically three choices of different plans with three different choices for some stuff to choose from in those plans, like how wide the spot was in the middle of the lens that you would look out of, or how thick or thin, how curved or straight the lens was, what the lens was made of, etc. And all of them were expensive. And they didn't have any hand outs for you to take home to think about the different choices. Their cheapest plan had only a small strip in the middle where you would have good vision, and on the peripheral vision it would be really blurry like the glasses were fogged up in that area from what they were showing me, so you would have to turn your head to see to the sides. The middle plan just had a little bigger strip down the middle of the glasses, and still a big area on the sides of both lens that looked fogged up and blurry. And even their best choice the strip still had fogging and blurry areas on the sides. So it would always be like having blind spots when driving or whatever. It might have just been that the pictures they were using to explain the peripheral vision were really bad examples. My glasses that I got from Cost-co the two times before that I got progressive trifocals don't have huge foggy and blurry blind spots like they were showing in the pictures. And I don't remember them showing me plans with really bad blind spots like that either. I just remember them asking me if I wanted anti-glare and anti-scratch coatings on them and stuff like that. My glasses do have where text on my far peripheral vision will be a little harder to read, but it is not like a big foggy and blind spot when walking or driving like the pictures they were showing me. Walmart had so many more choices than I remembered from before, and I didn't really like what they were showing me on their tablet with the choices of poor peripheral vision with any of it. And didn't like their selection of cheap frames either. And I don't really want to pay $100 or more for just the frame. And if I am paying hundreds for glasses, I don't want big foggy and blurry blind spots in them. There is very little distortion at all with my glasses no matter where I look with them. It is just that they got scratched after 5 yrs of wear and tear, and the coating is deteriorating and making little blurry spots where it is going bad. And I need just a tiny bit stronger reading glass part since I am reading a lot of small print for work. But I will just keep using a magnifying glass when need be at work until I figure this all out.

I was going to get new prescription sunglasses and new glasses for work/reading/driving. Now I will just use my old prescription sunglasses as they are not scratched up and the coating on them is fine, and my vision didn't change that much for driving. It is more a reading issue with bank statements with small text for the little pictures of cashed checks of clients. Last time I paid about $300 for both pairs. Now that is about the cheapest price I am being quoted for on pair of glasses. I didn't even go over all the plans or look at the glasses at the doctors as I was hoping to get away with maybe only paying $400 for both. And she looked at my medical card and thought that I might have some coverage on glasses, but she didn't take my ins for that part, just for the cataracts and glaucoma check up. And so I went home and dug out my booklet and called to verify and I didn't have any coverage for glasses. I had to be under 21 or a certain age and in a nursing home, or pregnant and not having the new glasses would be a danger to the child. Those where the only times they would help with the glasses.

Yes asthma makes clearing any respiratory infection harder & the cough seems to linger. I hope you are better soon & remember to get your flu shot when this passes. I wear progressive lenses & need a new rx, but I'm holding off to 2018 due to the cost of lenses & frames.I reused old frames last time & only paid for the lenses, but now they need replacing too. I don't have any vision coverage so I pay 100% plus the doctor. I completely understand checking around for costs. I don't know about lenses, but the markup for frames is very high. Take care.

I still have a bit of bronchitis holding on. Being asthmatic and with tons of allergies, I just get sick way too easy. I haven't seemed to be bothered when the boss or clients come in sick. But when the kid gets it, his dad and I always end up with it. I had took three days off from work for it. But then I needed to go back into work as we had too many deadlines we had to deal with. And the boss is only in our ofc a few days out of each month, with just me in the ofc myself until closer to the end of this year or start of next yr. So it was a really busy week, I even had to go in for a bit today.

Then I went to Walmart to check out their eye glass center and got stick price shock again, just like when I went to the eye dr's ofc the beginning of the month. I think I will check out Cost-co tomorrow or next weekend. That is where I got my glasses the last two times. But the last time was in 2012, and seems like the prices have at least doubled since then. Good thing my vision didn't change that much and my prescription sunglasses are still in good condition. I think I am going to end up just forgetting trying to get new prescription sunglasses this time. I have progressive Trifocals and they are just so expense now. And my vision coverage just covered having my eyes checked for Cataracts and Glaucoma. Not for the new vision test and RX, that cost me $50, or anything for the glasses themselves.

I usually don't have any problems with IBS unless under a lot of stress. Sometimes certain medicines can bother me though, like the baby aspirin messed with my stomach and stirred up IBS-D for a bit. When my IBS gets stirred up I can get cramping at any time. And it happens a lot when I try to lay down or when I get up, when I am having it. Sometimes my lower back and bad left hip even gets in the act with it. And usually after I have a bowel movement the cramping and pains will go away or lessen.

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